Themystical significance of the images (envisioned) is that they assume the shape of thingsas they’re actually depicted below. Thus the (vision of a) “circle” refers to a circular (i.e., non-linear) mode of governance without differentiation as to Chessed(Kindness), Din(Judgment) or Rachamim(Mercy), but rather as (i.e., it’s an expression of) overall providence that depends on the makeup of that Sephira. And it is (a depiction of) the mystical notion of (linear) causality. The (vision of a) “straight line” on the other hand indicates a detailed mode of governance that is based onChessed(Kindness), Din(Judgment) and Rachamim(Mercy, which are themselves laid out as) right, left or center (poles). And the same applies to all the other images (envisioned).

The whole on-going process of governance (of the universe) until its completion and the whole of creation (itself) encompasses one single phenomenon and arraywhich the Emanator instituted with the goal of bestowing utter goodness (upon creation) to the utmost degree of perfection. All created entities and the rules by which they’re governed are part of this array.

It’s all (an expression of) the mystic figure of a (single) person with all his body-parts, which are allinter-connected exactly as they would be in a person.As such, Adam Kadmon, which encompasses everything (in creation), comprises the entire array formed in this figure.

At bottom, the Emanator only brought about a single entity: an array (of phenomena) in the form of a person.Thus everything that exists, (which is to say,) all of created entities as well along with their governance, is (comprised of) the entirety of this mystical figure.

The ability of the Sephirot to be represented in their images derives from the Sephira of Malchut, which is the root of the lower realms. It’s through Malchut that they are all set in their forms. That’s why it’s said that one can only “ascend” or “receive” through Malchut.

In fact, we even derive knowledge of (God’s) governance from the forms and images themselves, for thanks to them we can know how the Shechina(God’s Indwelling Presence) needs to govern for the sake of a particular matter (represented by a specific image) and to bring it about in the lower realms. And (from those images) we can (likewise) gain insight into the levels above where the capacities and attributes actually exist.

Every action that God brings about occurs through the Sephirot. They (i.e., both the actions and the Sephirot themselves) follow certain rules He wants them to follow, they’re interdependent, they’re sequential, and they’re sequestered within each other.

As such, one particular capacity may function clandestinely while another one appears to be functioning openly, when the latter in fact only functions thanks to the clandestine one. That’s why the Sephirot assume specific images, as when (some) lights are (seemingly) enclosed in (other) lights, or when (certain) lights (seem to) emerge from others. (In point of fact,) all of these forms and figures are (merely) what the soul envisions (when looking at the Sephirot) which it then understands on a spiritual level the way the eye sees (i.e., understands) things in its purview.

Even though the Sephirot appear as images, still and all they never assume an actual physical form, Heaven forefend! (Instead,) what’s envisioned is understood to represent something one might see (here) below,and it’s termed a “soul depiction” rather than a physical one.

As such, the subjects (of the vision) needn’t correspond to how an object would appear physically. It’s just that a glow of light is envisioned by means of which the concept of (concentric) “circles” is understood (as being referred to) if the vision appearscircular, or (the concept of the) “straight line” is understood ifit’s straight and the like. No (actual) physical form is seen. In fact, even the spiritual form (envisioned) isn’t intrinsic to the Sephirot themselves whatsoever; it’s (connected to) themystical import (of the Sephira) of Malchut, which represents these phenomena this way.

The Sephirot can even appear in contradictory images, exactly the way things in a dream can reverse themselves in a moment. It’s just that each likeness seen in the prophetic vision provides information about a (specific Divine) element or attribute. And while the attributes and elements (themselves) become known (to the prophet or soul envisioning them) in the actual order in which they’re arranged and function, the images(appear to the prophet or soul) in accordance with the (prophet or) soul’s ability to receive (them).

We’re now entering the 3rd section entitled “The Images in which the Sephirot Appear” which covers Petachim 7-13. What we’ll do first is present one Petach at a time, in Hebrew and in English, then go back to analyze the entire section.

The Sephirot can be envisioned as shining brightly or dimly. And they can be pictured as assuming different forms and figures, though they don’t really have forms or figures and only seem to assume them. For as anyone who would truly scrutinize them could see, the forms and figures (they seem to assume) are accidental and dependent on whoever is observing them, as in (the versethat reads) “through the prophets I was imaged (i.e., I was portrayed)” (Hosea 12:11).

In essence, though, the Sephirot are actually an array of (Divine) capacities that are organized a specific way, and which are interdependent and sequential so as to ensure that things are organized just so.

Let’s sum-up what Ramchal offers about the Sephirot in this section. He depicts them here as emanations or illuminations and attributes of God’s willthatsuddenly and purposely came into play when He wanted them so as to create the various esoteric and concrete worlds,and which He now uses to govern them.

And he offers that unlike God’s own simple light or presence which is utterly unfathomable, and in contrast to certain other extraordinarily sublime phenomena that also don’t share this trait, these illuminations were each allowed to be “envisioned” as a single, mystical “illumination” by prophets and other exalted souls [1].

The Sephirot were granted that capacity, we’re told, for our sakes alone — so we might understand each attribute itself as well as understand what would be taking place in the governing process “down here, on earth” through that attribute “up there, in the heavens” at that time.

————————————

Notes:

[1] The “other extraordinarily sublime phenomena” cited here refer to certain Partzufim discussed below, including Reisha d’la Ityada (“The Head that cannot be Fathomed”) and others. They and their functions cannot be envisioned or “read”.

We’d made the point that it seemed to be very bold of Ramchal to say that the Sephirot could be “envisioned”, but that in fact others had said so as well or spoke of other very sublime visions some were privileged to have had, so let’s explore some of that.

Several sources address the sublime visions that many have had. Sefer Bahir (47) speaks of the celestial phenomena that our people observed at Mount Sinai, which another source refers to as the moment when God Himself appeared to them, albeit covered over by a tallit (Rosh Hashanah 17b) [1]. We’re taught that the very humblest of our people “saw (mystical visions) at the Red Sea that even Isaiah, Ezekiel and all the other prophets weren’t able to see” (Mechilta); and that Moses as well as Nadav and Avihu were able to see the Shechina (which is itself a depiction of the Sephira of Malchut) at the dedication of the Tabernacle (Shemot Rabbah 3:2) as were all who entered into it afterwards (Pesikta D’Rav Kahana), and as the entire Jewish Nation was able to do all together at the dedication of the Holy Temple (Mo’ed Kattan 9a).

Weren’t we told outright that Daniel caught sight of “the Ancient of Days (sitting upon His throne with) His raiment as white as snow, and the hair of His head like clean wool” (Daniel 7:9)? And haven’t we been taught that all the prophets saw celestial phenomena indeed, though through a translucent glass, while Moses saw greater things himself as if looking through a transparent glass (Vayikra Rabbah 1:14)?

Hence, a lot has been seen. Finally, as to prophets envisioning the Sephirot themselves, the Tikkunei Zohar says explicitly that Ezekiel perceived them (p. 2a; also see Zohar 3, 226b). And the Zohar itself alludes to the possibility of perceiving the Sephirot once they draw closer to the physical universe [2], much the way one is only able to take hold of water that’s spilling down from up above once it falls to the ground (Zohar 2, 42b) [3].

So we see that Ramchal’s claim isn’t all original; it seems that it was simply the explicitness of the claim that shocked some.

————————————

Notes:

[1] That itself is a clear reference to envisioning the Sephirot or some other representation, given that God Himself isn’t visible.

[2] I.e., once the Sephira of Malchut comes into play, as Ramchal himself explains in Petach 9.

[2] Also see Zohar 2, 270b; and 3, 239a. See Adir Bamarom pp. 37-38 where Ramchal discusses rare individuals who are able to see great visions while in deserts and in fields.

We’d learned last time that “God wanted the Sephirot to be known of so that we can understand the attribute itself … and so that we might understand what would be taking place in the governing process … at that time”.

This raises a number of serious questions which we’ll pose but only offer a limited response to since no one seems to address this, other than indirectly.

If God wanted us — our people and humanity eventually, select individuals right now — to envision His Sephirot and to know “which way the wind is blowing”, so to speak, at any given moment, then why aren’t we? Why isn’t this focused on, and why didn’t Ramchal tell us how to do it himself?

Some might say that this speaks to the need to study the physical sciences since they address present reality all the time; or perhaps political science, sociology, psychology, and the like. But I don’t think so.

Ramchal himself has no particular objection to studying those things, given his acknowledgment in his introduction to Messilat Yesharim of the fact that “the great majority of intelligent, enlightened, aware, and informed people expend a great deal of their energies on reflection upon and examination of the minutia of the various sciences, and upon subtle scholarship, each according to his own inclinations and personal bents …. (including) cosmogony or physical science,… astronomy or mathematics and … art”. And his acceptance of that is also alluded to by his statement near the end of the same book that “the path to piety for the one whose whole occupation is Torah scholarship is different from the one for the laborer, which is itself different from the one for the professional person”, which acknowledges the legitimacy of other intellectual and professional paths (and we’d also cite Ramchal’s learned statements in his SeferHaHigayon cited in note 22 of this section, as well as his work on Hebrew grammar and more for allusions to such acceptance).

But we can’t claim that those are the ways he’d maintain that one is to train himself to envision the Sephirot. Because while the various sciences enable us to see “the situation on the ground” if you will — how God’s governance plays itself out in the physical world — they don’t enable us to catch sight of the movements in the heavens which is the implication of envisioning the Sephirot.

Our studying Klach Pitchei Chochma and other Kabbalistic works are certainly meant to teach us how and where to “look up into the skies” so to speak, as they provide us with the “maps” we’d need beforehand, they don’t end up teaching us how to do what needs to be done if we’re to do what we must, which is to take those maps and set out to see the Sephirot for ourselves.

One answer suggested by Ramchal’s statements further on in Klach is that we must then become either prophets or the sorts of exalted souls who can indeed discern the movement of the Sephirot as he’ll point to later. But he doesn’t tell us how to. R’ Aryeh Kaplan z”l was of the opinion that Messilat Yesharim is itself a preparatory text for that (see “Meditation and the Bible” pp. 20-21), but few others say as much.

Some rare individuals recite the various Yichudim that are laid out in the Kavvanot of the Ari, which do enable them to read and affect the heavens, as Ari lays it out there, But the great, great majority of us haven’t any association with that.

Our only consolation (and it’s scant at that) lies in the fact that Ramchal often refers to the idea that once God’s Yichud becomes manifest we’ll all understand God’s governance in retrospect (as cited at the end of Section 1; see sources cited there and in note 45 there). Thus the point is that while we might never catch sight of the Sephirot now, we eventually will, and that itself is priceless.